Luke 10:25-37 NIV - The Parable of the Good Samaritan - On - Bible Gateway Luke 10:25-37New International Version (NIV) The Parable of the Good Samaritan 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[ a ]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[ b ]” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[ c ] and gave them to the innkeeper.

‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Footnotes: The Good Samaritan Parable Teaches About Love Luke 10:25-37 The Good Samaritan - Story Summary: Jesus Christ 's parable of the Good Samaritan was prompted by a question from a lawyer: And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25, ESV ) Jesus asked him what was written in the law, and the man responded: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27, ESV ) Pressing further, the lawyer asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" In parable form, Jesus told of a man

 going down from Jerusalem to Jericho .

Robbers attacked him, took his possessions and clothes, beat him, and left him half dead. A priest came down the road, saw the injured man, and passed by him on the other side. A Levite passing by did the same. A Samaritan, from a race hated by the Jews, saw the hurt man and had compassion on him. He poured oil and wine on his wounds, bound them up, then put the man on his donkey. The Samaritan took him to an inn and cared for him. The next morning, the Samaritan gave two denarii to the innkeeper for the man's care and promised to repay him on his way back for any other expenses. Jesus asked the lawyer which of the three men had been a neighbor. The lawyer answered that the man who showed mercy was a neighbor. Then Jesus told him, "You go and do likewise." (Luke 10:37, ESV ) Points of Interest from the Story: People of Samaria , an area sandwiched between Galilee to the north and Judea to the south, were hated by Jews because they intermarried with non-Jews and did not strictly observe Mosaic law.

Jesus gave the word "neighbor" a new meaning: anyone in need. When we help others, we help Christ. ( Matthew 25:40 ) The Samaritan "had compassion" on the injured Jew. In other places in the Gospels , we hear that Jesus himself "had compassion" on people: Matthew 9:36 , Matthew 14:14 , Mark 6:34 , and Luke 7:13 . One interpretation of the parable identifies the Samaritan with Christ, scorned and rejected by others, and the injured traveler as every person, unable to rescue himself or herself but for the love and grace of a Savior. Ma'ale Adummim, on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, has been identified by tradition as the site of the inn where the Good Samaritan helped the injured man. Archaeological digs show that way stations for travelers were located there dating back thousands of years. Today, a modern museum covers the site, with displays honoring Christians, Samaritans, and Jews. Question for Reflection: Bible Story Summary Index Jack Zavada, a career writer and contributor for About.com, is host to a Christian website for singles.

Never married, Jack feels that the hard-won lessons he has learned may help other Christian singles make sense of their lives. His articles and ebooks offer great hope and encouragement. To contact him or for more information, visit Jack's Bio Page . 4. The Good Samaritan | Bible.org 4. The Good Samaritan Luke 10:30-37 The Problem A lawyer approaches Jesus and asks a question. There are really two questions being asked and answered in the parable. Question 1: What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus answers the first question with a question. What does the law say? The lawyer, a man skilled in the Mosaic law, answered and summed up the teaching of the law by saying one must love God with all one’s heart (Deut 6:4) and his neighbor as himself (Lev 19:18). Some think that Jesus really surprises the Pharisees in Matt 22:37f when He summarizes the law with these two points. This was in fact the conclusion that the Jews had come to concerning the 10 commandments. In Matt 22 Jesus was probably saying that you are not applying the very thing which you understand.

(That is a common theme - people are held responsible for what they know! Jesus did not condemn them for what they did not understand. He condemned them for what they did understand, but did not do!) When Jesus tells the man to “do this and you will live,” He is not saying, you can get to heaven by being perfect. He is using the man’s statement and saying, “Assuming it is true for the sake of argument, do it and you will live.” Jesus is just holding up a mirror so the man can see his sin. He makes an accommodating statement - to accommodate the man’s understanding and help him see the truth. Jesus knew the man could never do it. He wanted the man to see it too. You’ve heard the statement - “You’ve got to get them lost before you can get them saved.” That is what is going on here. Jesus is trying to make the man see his need for salvation. Then the man asks a second question: Question 2: Who is my neighbor? The lawyer asks the question to test him. He is not sincere. That may be the reason Jesus goes along with the assumption that you can earn eternal life. Another thing we see about the lawyer is his self-righteousness.

Remember that most parables answer a question and deal with an attitude. The attitude being dealt with in the parable is self-righteousness. The text says the lawyer was “seeking to justify himself.” That by the way was the problem with the nation. Of course we don’t have that problem in our culture. We just write books titled, I’m ok, You’re ok. Verse 30 says, “Jesus replied...” The Greek word means to “take up.” The man had thrown down a challenge and Jesus took him up on it. This is not simply, “Jesus answered him.” The parable is primarily answering the question asked by the lawyer “who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29), but Jesus also indicates in a subtle way the true answer to the lawyer’s first question. The Parameters The historical context is that Samaritans were despised and hated by Jews. The story which follows would have seemed impossible to a Jewish audience. To the Jew, the above diagram represents the social hierarchy within the society. It was so ingrained in the culture that even in synagogue the priest read first, then the levite and then the regular Jew.

It is important to understand this, because the lawyer is asking how far out in that diagram do I have to go? How far do the love priorities of the law extend? We might ask, “Do I have to love street people and boys in the Hood?” The Progression The best way to organize the parable is around the major players. In the story there are the robbers, the victim, the priest, the levite, the Samaritan and the innkeeper. Of these, the major players are the victim, the priest and levite (which represent the same attitude) and the Samaritan. Notice that Jesus says, “A certain man, a certain priest, a certain levite.” There are no names; parables are representative of real life. The Robbers The road between Jerusalem and Jericho was very steep and it was treacherous because of the many places for robbers to hide. In fact the name for the road was the way of blood. So, this is a very believable story for those listening. Although Jesus does not identify the man going down to Jericho, since this was a Jewish lawyer and audience, they more than likely imagined a Jewish person. The man is robbed and wounded and left for dead.

He needs help. The Religious - Priest/Levite It helps to understand the culture here - anyone who touched a dead man would be unclean. The priests could have used the excuse that they didn’t want to touch the man because he might have been dead. That would have kept them from serving God in the temple. BUT, the priest and Levite were going "down on the road." (Jerusalem is on a hill) They were leaving Jerusalem and could not use the excuse that they did not want to touch the man and be unclean for worship. They had already accomplished their duties and were heading home. In fact, the story shows their hypocrisy. They had just been to worship God (love God), but did not help the wounded man (love neighbor). His refusal to love his neighbor casts doubt on his love for God. The Priest was an expert in the law and undoubtedly knew of laws like those in Ex 23:4-5 which commanded that you help your enemy’s donkey if he was lost or overburdened, but he was unwilling to help a human in distress. vs 32 The Levite was also from the tribe responsible for spiritual leadership of the nation.

He also would “know” the law and what was required of him. What did they do? Both ignored the wounded man lying in the road. These two represent people caught up in lifeless religion. They play at church, but it does not affect the way that they live. The Righteous - the good Samaritan Who does the hearer of the parable expect to come by next. Look at the circles. They would have expected Joseph Jew to come by. But Jesus as the master story teller, tells a 3 billy goats gruff, 3 little pigs type of story with a surprise ending and skips all the way down to the Samaritan. Samaritans were an inferior mixed race in the Jewish mind. He was considered to be less than human, but look at his actions: Compassion - In the Greek this stands out because of the prepositions. While the priest and Levite passed by ajntiparh'lqen, the Samaritan passed by proselqwVn. He doesn’t pass by on the other side. He moved toward the injured man. This is so significant because you must move toward people in order to love, in order to build relationships. It doesn’t just happen.

It isn’t convenient. The Samaritan is moving toward someone who would despise him, if he were conscious. Someone who would not do the same if the situation were reversed. When you feel like you have no deep relationships with others, perhaps it is because you are waiting for something to happen. You are waiting for someone to move toward you. Perhaps you need to take the initiative and move toward others. It is a scary thing to do because you might be rejected or hurt, but you can’t build relationships unless you do. Care - He stopped and took care of his wounds (oil and wine were the traveling medicine kit of the day). He put him on his own donkey and the Samaritan walked. He took the wounded man to an inn. It is important to recognize that he took the time to take care of him. I think we sometimes make a donation to a worthy cause to pacify our conscience when perhaps we should have gotten involved. In our society, we are so busy with the rat race of going to work, taking our children to soccer games, going to Bible studies or care groups, etc. that we don’t have time to reach out and help someone else.

Even something as small as going out of our way to take someone home would be a Good Samaritan act - a demonstration that we care and love others. Cost - He gave money to take care of him and put no limit on how much he would spend to see that the wounded man was taken care of. Remember that this is a Samaritan in enemy territory. He has just told one of his enemies (a Jewish landlord), “Here is my VISA card.” Do whatever you need to do to take care of him. Talk about vulnerability!!! This is also significant because vulnerability is also essential for loving others. When you move toward someone else, you might be hurt. But you must be willing to sacrifice and be vulnerable, and take the chance of being hurt. Conclusion Which of these “proved to be a neighbor?” The obvious answer is that the Samaritan proved to be the “neighbor” to the wounded man. But the lawyer couldn’t bring himself to say the good Samaritan. That was an oxymoron. He answered, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Notice the significance of the question. What did the man ask? “Who is my neighbor? He was asking who and how much do I have to love.

Jesus changes the question and makes the neighbor be the subject. Love does not ask how far do I have to go. Love asks, “What can I do?” Love does not just meet the other person half way. The old saying that marriage is a 50/50 relationship is terrible. If you love, you give 100%. The Samaritan’s actions were a true demonstration of love because he had no prior relationship with the wounded man, he would not gain anything materially from his actions. He would instead lose time and money. And the wounded man probably would not have done the same for him if the situation were reversed. The Point How you love people shows your relationship with God. And Israel had failed to keep the elementary principle of the law which was to love. I believe this is the main message of the whole Bible. Craig Blomberg teaches that parables have as many points as they do major characters. If this is true, then the following points might correspond to the characters in this parable: Point 1: Even our enemies are our neighbors. Point 2: Ethnic and social standing are no guarantee of right standing before God. Point 3: The Samaritan’s actions are an example of what it means to love.

Relation of parable to the kingdom of God The parable relates to the kingdom program of God by demonstrating what it means to fulfill the ethic of the law which is summed up in the command to love one’s neighbor. The man is asking, what must I do to get in? Jesus tells him what one who is on the inside looks like. This is so important to understand. What Jesus is doing here is showing the difference between works and fruit. “Works” has the idea of what must I do to get in. But “Fruit” - what you do - is the result of being on the inside. If the lawyer is asking the question, “How do I get in?” and Jesus is telling him what one on the inside looks like, then we can assume the lawyer is on the outside. How he gets inside becomes the question. And I think Jesus answers that very subtly. There is an interesting analogy here that is worth noting. Who was in the ditch? A Jew. What did it take for the Jew to get out of the ditch? He had to trust a despised person to help him. The Samaritan, an outcast, paid the price to get the man out of the ditch.

Who else was an outcast and paid the price to get men out of the ditch of sin? Jesus How does Jesus answer the lawyer’s question about inheriting eternal life? Allow one who will be called a “Samaritan” by the religious leaders to pay the price for him. Compare John 8:48. Jesus was called a Samaritan by the religious leaders. So Jesus answered the man’s question about how to inherit eternal life, but it is in a whole different way than he expected. Principles What’s yours is mine and I’m going to take it. Priest/Levite: What’s mine is mine and I’m going to keep it. Samaritan: What’s mine is yours and I’m going to share it. We must not think that our “membership” in the body of Christ or rituals in our church services satisfy the commands to love God and love our neighbor. When we love our neighbor, we show that we love God. Biblical love transcends boundaries of geography, race, religion, socio-economic status and even convenience. We must love all men equally and well. My neighbor is anyone with a legitimate need for which God has given me the resources to meet that need.

2Ch 28:5-15, Hos 6:9, Micah 6:6-8 Love means moving toward others. It is not convenient. The Story Of The Good Samaritan - Children's Bible Stories - Children's Bible Stories - Children's Books - Books The Story Of The Good Samaritan Category Navigation: Availability: In Stock – usually dispatched within 14 days £1.75 Quick Overview This book tells the parable of the Good Samaritan (Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-37). This well-loved series captures the attention of children, telling scripturally sound stories that are enjoyable and easy to remember. Double click on above image to view or hide full picture Details The Arch Book series tells popular Bible stories through fun-to-read rhymes and bright illustrations for 5 - 9 year olds.

Additional Information Luke 10:25-37 NKJV - The Parable of the Good Samaritan - And - Bible Gateway Luke 10:25-37New King James Version (NKJV) The Parable of the Good Samaritan 25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’[ a ] and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”[ b ] 28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” 29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed,[ c ] he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’ 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” 37 And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Footnotes: Full Curriculum Jesus' Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-27).

This beloved parable is Jesus' response to a lawyer's self serving question: "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus answered by telling the story of a man left for dead and then rescued by a samaritan man. The point, according to Jesus, is that a true neighbor is anyone who shows mercy. This Good Samaritan slide show is packed with fantastic digital resources like Q&A, memory verse and more. Its everything you need for your upcoming Luke 10:25-37 Sunday school lesson. Tags A New Look at the Good Samaritan | Grace Communion International Ways to Give A New Look at the Good Samaritan The Good Samaritan is one of Jesus’ most popular parables. Preachers often use it to encourage people to be unselfish, to think ahead and help others. But there is more to the story than that. Jesus was doing far more than putting hypocritical religious leaders in their place. Let’s take a closer look. A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers? (Luke 10:30-37) The answer to Jesus’ question was obvious. But Jesus was teaching much more than a lesson in social responsibility. Let’s consider the context. Jesus was answering a lawyer who had asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (verse 25).

This man was a religious lawyer, priding himself in his understanding of all 613 points of the Torah. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had inherited a system that had turned obedience to God into an obstacle course, so strewn with picky dos and don’ts that it left the average person on a permanent guilt trip. This approach contradicted what Jesus taught, and confrontation became inevitable. The lawyers, along with the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes and others in religious leadership, were constantly trying to discredit Jesus. There was a motive behind the lawyer’s apparently innocent question. So Jesus let the expert speak first: “What is written in the law?... How do you read it?” (verse 26). The lawyer knew the answer: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (verse 27). “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live” (verse 28). It was a good answer, as far as it went. But you know what lawyers are like.

They are trained to look for some extenuating circumstance that might in some way limit the extent of the law. The lawyer knew that the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” was impossible to fulfill. So he thought he had found a loophole. “Who is my neighbor?” he asked Jesus. That is when Jesus gave his famous parable. Cast and location Jesus set his story on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, a distance of about 17 miles. Jerusalem was where the Temple was, the center of the Levitical priesthood. The priests were the highest class of the Levites. They were supported by thousands of other Levites who served at lower levels, doing such tasks as keeping the altar fire going, lighting the incense, singing in the Temple chorus and playing musical instruments. When they were not on duty, many of these priests and temple workers lived in Jericho. They often traveled this road between Jerusalem and Jericho. Travel in those days could be hazardous. One stretch of the Jericho road was known as the “Way of Blood,” because so many people were robbed and killed there. This was where Jesus set the scene for his parable. People knew exactly where he was talking about.

In Jesus’ story, the first person to see the victim is a priest, but rather than get involved, he passes by on the other side of the road. He is followed by a Levite, a temple-worker. The Levite does the same—he passes by. Then along comes a Samaritan. A what? Jesus would have caused a stir with that. The Samaritans were a mix of Jew and Gentile, and the Jews did not like them. They had names for Samaritans like “half breeds” and “heathen dogs,” and considered them to be spiritually defiled. The Jews of that time did not often hear the words “good” and “Samaritan” used in the same sentence. But in Jesus’ story, it is this outcast who stops to help. Not only does this Samaritan help, but he goes far beyond what most people do. He cleans the victim’s wounds with oil and wine, then bandages them. People didn’t carry first-aid kits back then. He likely would have had to tear up some of his own clothing to make a bandage. Next, he puts the injured man on his donkey and takes him to an inn.

He takes two silver coins, a considerable amount in those days, and promises to reimburse the innkeeper for any further expense. This is an exceptional level of assistance, especially for a total stranger and someone who is supposed to be a social enemy. But the Samaritan did not let that stand in the way. With this deceptively simple little story, Jesus impales the lawyer on his own hook. He asks him, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (verse 36). Jesus has turned the question around. He is not asking, “Which people should I help?” He is saying: To answer the question, you need to put yourself into the shoes (or lack thereof) of the man who was beaten and left to die. The better question is: “When I need help, who do I want to help me?” Don’t you hope that the Samaritan will be a neighbor to you? Who was a good neighbor?

The answer is obvious, but the expert in the law didn’t want to say the word Samaritan, so he said, “The one who had mercy on him.” Then Jesus delivers the knockout blow: “Go and do likewise” (verse 37). Remember, this “teacher of the law” was from a class of people who prided themselves on how carefully they obeyed God. For example, they would not pronounce God’s name, considering it too holy to utter. They would even take a ritual bath to ensure purity before writing God’s name. Along with the Pharisees, they were fastidious about observing the law in every detail. The lawyer had asked what he needed to do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus’ answer was, in effect, “You have to do the impossible.” Your love for others needs to extend far beyond what humans are capable of doing. A story of salvation How could anyone be expected to live up to the standard of the Samaritan in this story? If that is what God expects, even the meticulous lawyer was doomed. Jesus was showing that humans cannot meet the perfect requirements of the law. Even those who dedicate themselves to it fall short. Jesus is the only one to fulfill the law in its deepest intent.

Jesus is the Good Samaritan. Jesus knew that there is nothing we can “do” to earn an eternity with a holy God. So he crafted his answer-story at two levels of meaning. On the surface, it made the point that people ought to love and do good to their enemies. But on a deeper level, it addressed the question of eternal life. To answer the question, we need to put ourselves in the place of the man who was beaten and left to die. He represents us—all humanity. The robbers correspond to sin and the forces of evil, the devil and his dominion. We do not have enough strength to combat these forces, and if we are left to ourselves, we will die. The priest and the Levite represent the laws and sacrifices of the old covenant. They can’t help us. The Good Samaritan is the only one who can help. The wine and the oil correspond, roughly, to the blood Jesus shed for us and the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. That is what heals us. The inn could then represent the church, where God puts his people to be spiritually nurtured until he returns for them. Jesus pays for this ongoing need in our life, too.

Jesus used the lawyer’s question to show how inadequate for salvation even the best human effort is, and how wonderful and sure is his work of redemption for humanity. Jesus, and only Jesus, can rescue us from the “Way of Blood”—and he did it by way of his own blood. Joseph Tkach The Good Samaritan The Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37 Christian Love Whenever someone asked Jesus which of God's commandments was the most important, Jesus said these two are the most important of all: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor just as much as you love yourself." "Love" can mean many different things, but the "Christian love" that Jesus talked about means treating others with kindness and respect and helping them when they need it. It is the kind of love we do instead of the kind of love we feel. Parable of the Good Samaritan A parable is a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson by comparing it to something from everyday life. Jesus loved to tell a good story to make a point, and The Good Samaritan is one of His most famous parables of all.

"Love your neighbor as yourself" was part of the Old Testament Law ( Leviticus 19:18 ) that was sacred to Jesus' kinfolk, the Jews. But, many people thought a "neighbor" meant only their fellow Jews. One day a lawyer asked Jesus, "And just who is my neighbor?" Jesus told the Parable of The Good Samaritan to answer his question in a way we can never forget: A Jewish man was taking a trip alone and was attacked by robbers. They beat him, robbed him of everything he had, and left him nearly dead beside the road. After while, a Jewish priest came along and saw the poor man lying beside the road. As a religious man, you would expect him to stop and do what he could to help. But, instead, he kept going and pretended he did not see. Later, a Levite came along. Levites were assistants to the priests, so you would expect him to stop and help, too. But, he did just like the priest and kept on going. The Good Samaritan bandaged the man's wounds, put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn. Finally, a Samaritan man came by.

Even though they both lived in the land of Palestine and shared a similar religion, the Jews and the Samaritans definitely did not think of each other as "neighbors." In fact, they hated each other. The Samaritans came from a different race of people than the Jews. They had considered each other enemies for hundreds of years and refused to even talk to each other! You would expect the Samaritan man to be the one who just passed by without helping. Instead, this Samaritan man took pity on the injured Jewish man. He bandaged his wounds. He put him on his own donkey and took him to an inn where he could be safe and recover. Since the injured man had been robbed of everything he had, the Samaritan man even paid his bill at the inn and paid the innkeeper to take good care of him! After telling this story, Jesus turned to the lawyer who had asked, "And who is my neighbor?" and said to him, "Now which of the three men that passed by was a neighbor to the injured man?" The lawyer was forced to admit that it was the Samaritan who treated the injured man as a neighbor, not his fellow Jews who did nothing to help.

Jesus then said, "Yes, now go and do the same!" Lesson If a Samaritan could be a neighbor to a Jew, and Jesus told us to "go and do the same," then all of God's people must be our neighbors and we must love them just as the Samaritan man did! Yet, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Hindus, Buddhists, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Asians, the poor, the homeless, the unattractive, gays, lesbians, the handicapped, the mentally ill, and countless other groups are still sometimes the victims of ridicule, hatred and discrimination. Jesus must be looking down with sadness that, after 2000 years, we have still not learned to love our neighbors! Primary 7: New Testament Lesson 20: Parable of the Good Samaritan A Bible or a New Testament for each child. b. Pictures 7-21, The Good Samaritan (Gospel Art Picture Kit 218; 62156), and 7-22, Map of the Holy Land. Suggested Lesson Development Invite a child to give the opening prayer.

Attention Activity Call on a child and ask, “(Name), who is your neighbor?” Ask several children the same question. Explain that we usually think of our neighbor as someone who lives near us. This lesson helps us understand what Jesus taught about who our neighbors are and how we should treat them. Have a child read Matthew 22:34–40 . Discuss the importance of having love for others. Scripture Account Display the pictures The Good Samaritan and Map of the Holy Land. Teach the parable of the Good Samaritan as found in Luke 10:25–37 . (For suggested ways to teach the scripture account, see “Teaching from the Scriptures,” p. vii.) Show the children Samaria and Judea on the map, and explain the situation between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Jews felt that they were better than the Samaritans. They disliked the Samaritans so much that when Jews traveled from Jerusalem to Galilee, they would take the longer way through the Jordan Valley rather than travel through Samaria. You may want to have the children dramatize this scripture account. Discussion and Application Questions Study the following questions and the scripture references as you prepare your lesson.

Use the questions you feel will best help the children understand the scriptures and apply the principles in their lives. Reading the references with the children in class will help them gain insights into the scriptures. • What did Jesus say we need to do to inherit eternal life? ( Luke 10:27–28 .) Why do you think these commandments are so important? ( Matthew 22:37–39 .) • What did the Samaritan do for the wounded Jewish man? ( Luke 10:33–35 .) • Why is it significant that it was a Samaritan who helped the Jewish man? What characteristics of a good neighbor did the Samaritan have? How does this story help us understand who our neighbor is? How can we become better neighbors? • Who do you think loved the Lord the most—the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan? Why? • How can we follow Jesus’ teachings and show love for other people? How should we treat someone who needs our help? someone who is different from us? someone who might have been unkind to us? Ask the children to share experiences when they gave service to someone in need or when they or their family received help from others.

Be careful that the children do not share stories that might embarrass any ward members. • When you show love for others by helping and serving them, how do you feel? Does it make you feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus? What great blessing will we inherit if we truly love Heavenly Father and our neighbors? ( Luke 10:25–28 .) Enrichment Activities You may use one or more of the following activities any time during the lesson or as a review, summary, or challenge. 1. Write the following activities on separate pieces of paper. Write parts A and B on the same piece of paper, and give one to each child. Ask the children to pretend that a new child has just moved into the neighborhood. Part A of their paper tells something they can do to be a neighbor and show love for this new child. Part B tells a similar way to show love for Heavenly Father. Ask the child with number 1 to read his or her activity, then number 2, and so on. (1) Visit his or her home. b.

Question: In which book of the Bible is the story of the Good Samaritan?
Answer: Luke